Open Door Policy

We came here for a Saturday brunch. It is on the pricier side, but the food was delicious and generous in portion. I ordered the potato rosti, which I’d recommend. Their coffee is also quite good compared to some of the other cafes in the area. It is a small place so not ideal for big groups, maybe good for up to 4 ppl for comfortable seating. I loved the ambiance of this place and would try it again, but not too often though because of the price.

I have gone twice for Saturday brunch. The food is creative and delicious but pricey for what it is. I would probably go back only on special occasions.
The place is always packed on weekends so best to make reservations.

Last night, three friends and I made our first visit to Open Door Policy and am happy to give it a four star review.
Located in long narrow shop house space on Yong Siak St, ODP’s show kitchen (fully in view behind glass) and the bar occupy most of the room at the front of the space. The seating is along the opposite wall in a very long row of banquet seats.
The staff was friendly, polite and never far away.
The food was mostly delicious. The menu is on the small side (7 starters, 7 mains, 5 desserts). For starters we had the Crab Cakes ($ 20) and Lobster Veloute ($ 20). The Crab Cakes were served on a deliciously seasoned crunchy bed of pea salad, sauce gribiche & garnished with mint oil. The Lobster was nicely presented in a large black bowl with the creamy soup poured on top of the lobster at the table. I’d make a return visit for the crab cakes.
For mains, two of us had the Braised Beef Cheek with black truffle mash, roasted mushroom & red wine jus ($ 32). The other two went for the Kangaroo Fillet, served with roast brussel sprouts with pine nuts & baby onions, sauteed warrigal greens, vinegar jus ($ 34). The beef cheek was exceptional. It was perfectly seasoned, and when layered onto a fork with the truffled potatoes and mushrooms — it was the dictionary definition of comfort food. The Kangaroo got high marks too though I heard some grumblings about the brussel sprouts. The side of french green beans ($ 12) was perfectly crunchy and seasoned. The clear winner was the Beef Cheek.
The desserts were okay, but mostly too sweet (and overpriced). The Caramel Crème Brûlée with dark brown sugar ice cream ($ 18) was a very thin layer with an even thinner layer of candied caramel. They’d do better to present a thicker layer in a smaller bowl and give a crunchier and more substantial caramel crust. The Eight-​Spiced Apple Crumble with vanilla custard ($ 18) was forgettable. The tangy tartness of the Passion Fruit & Chocolate Tart with guayaquil’s bitter ganache ($ 18) was also nothing to write home about. Infused with carbon dioxide, there’s a slight popping sensation that happens inside the mouth. Overall, the desserts were too sweet and very one note. The chocolate tart was the most interesting, but I definitely would not order it again. The Long Black ($ 3.50) had a sweet, stale unpleasant flavor. I’m not sure if they are using a cheap coffee or if they need to clean their machine.
The Good: Flavorful perfectly seasoned starters and mains. The Beef Cheek and sides were perfect. The Crab Cake with Pea Salad was memorable.
The Bad: Narrow shop house space with a Show Kitchen front and center. The space left for diners is a long and narrow wall of tables. Not a fan of the layout or the show kitchen The space is too small for this sort of set up. Do people like to watch cooks working while they’re dining out? The fact that they reserve the 14 counter seats for «Walk-​ins» tells me that this is not the preferable spot to sit. The desserts were overpriced and the coffee was bad. A large table of Australians came in (from happy hour?) halfway though our meal, and were so loud it was an annoyance. With these prices, they should be using cloth napkins (at least at dinner). Each of us had two cocktails and all commented that they were weak on the alcohol.
The Verdict: We will definitely return (but will skip dessert and coffee). Looking forward to trying the brunch menu.
3.5 stars

Came with with a girlfriend of mine and though service was very attentive it almost came off pushy… Whatever, the waiter told us about the chefs special (some steak thing with two sides) and said it was good for two people. It was delicious but came alone with a hefty price tag… Something the waiter failed to mention. Again, the food was delicious so I’d say the $ 150 was worth it!

Since I first arrived in Singapore, ODP has been on my list to try. Tucked away in a hipster neighborhood of Tiong Bahru, ODP seemed like nice dinner spot to chill with friends after work.
So I did just that today. Just finished a dinner with friends here, and I’m sorry to say that I was less than impressed.
Nothing was bad and I loved the ambiance. I loved how they had the open kitchen, good taste in their entire architecture of the interior, as well as attention to detail I noted with glasses for water and wine.
It was the food taste that did not live up to the expectation. Perhaps I had too high of an expectation, but I wasn’t necessarily expecting an elaborate piece of art that is sensational. When it comes to food, I care about the authenticity — not compromising on the quality of all ingredients and overall harmony of taste, thought it may be simple.
I had the lamb ragout with tagliatelle. I really liked the freshness of taglietelle but the sauce lacked sophistication that seemed to be present in the overall presentation of the restaurant. It was a bit too salty, so I had to drink water a lot (and I don’t usually in the middle of the meal).
My friend had the ravioli which seemed delicate and good. She said it was good as well.
For dessert, we had the chocolate tarte & passion fruit paste and the chocolate-​pistachio soufflé.
Chocolate tarte was the bomb. Delicate, yet rich chocolate that is just the right softness. Not overbaked at all. Passion fruit paste went really well with the tarte. They added the popping candy that will pop inside your mouth, and this added an interesting twist.
Chocolate-​pistachio soufflé was served with crème anglais. It was good, but not heavenly. I wouldn’t order again. It made me think of FYR’s pistachio fondant with pandan icee cream.
All in all, I think the restaurant has great potential. But if they are to push for high-​end food experience brand, they need some more work.

Been here twice for brunch, haven’t had dinner here yet so can’t comment on that. Have read that food can be overpriced here but I found brunch to be reasonably priced. Vibe is the industrial/​cool type, not bad when I had braved 15 minutes of scorching heat walking from my humble abode on the other side of Tiong Bahru. Service is efficient. Brunch menu offers adequate choices. So far I have tried the eggs benedict and the truffle scrambled egg with oysters. it’s Eggs benedict was well executed, very subtle and balanced taste but didn’t blow me away. Truffle scrambled egg with oyster was delicious but I didn’t find any bits of oyster so supsect it’s somehow infused into the dish? The mushroom was really tasty maybe thats where the oyster had gone? My friend had the wagyu rump which was good too. Everything was presented beautifully. There is a 1.5 hour limit on brunch which can sound a bit tyrannical but there is actually ample time to finish your brunch in a leisurely manner so don’t think that’s a problem. And it gives you a chance to hop to one of the many other cafes in the hood. Will try to return for dinner.

Love the décor and finesse with food presentation.
The restaurant and the food looked like art pieces. I didn’t encounter any crazy crowd; in fact it was almost empty at 630PM on a Thursday night.
My favorite was the carnaroli risotto poached pears, gorgonzola fondue, pancetta & toasted almond. It was perfectly cooked (hard to master for risotto), seasoned beautifully and I love the addition of bacon/​pancetta bits.
Not a fan of the 48 hour braised beef cheek with red wine quinoa and beetroot purée. The dish had a very interesting mix of flavor but it was more sweet than savory. The meat however was cooked very nicely and extremely tender.
Will come back to try out their brunch!

Great food, can be overpriced but often isn’t. It’s close to five stars I think in terms of how much attention to detail they have on their dinner courses and their soups are also amazing.
I was less impressed with brunch. Their British breakfast costs $ 28, but they aren’t willing to substitute a fried egg for scrambled eggs? Really?

Went on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Ordered a Smoked Salmon on ciabatta — weekend brunch menu (up to 3pm). Generous helping of smoked salmon — the huge slices were hiding equally generous amounts of scrambled eggs. All of this rests above a toasted ciabatta. Rather bland.
Had the iberico pork belly with sweet potato gnocchi. It may be my fault but I didn’t know what to expect when ordering «iberico pork belly» — it was mostly fats (some slices were just fats). Server explained that this is common and iberico pork belly is known for it’s «marbelling» — told her that’s the wrong terminology for serving something which is almost all fats.
One server was standing «attention» a few feet away from our table — angled her body to us and was staring. Appreciate the attention but certainly made us uncomfortable.
Still — a decent-​to-​good alternative to other brunch places in Singapore (read: mandatory smoked salmon/​poached eggs).

Good presentation, very nicely seasoned, and cooked to specifications. They have small bathrooms which is inconvenient if you are tall; I am tall. There isn’t really adequate space for the wait staff to stand idle without feeling like they are standing over top of the table. I have 4 years experience waitering at fine dining restaurants and it is key for the wait staff to be attentive, but appear invisible, so to speak, by the patrons.

3.5Stars overall
It’s a nice little bistro in a relatively quiet neighborhood. It has an inviting interior with a small bar counter; nicely designed dining area in a covered ALLEY between buildings with mix-​and-​match chairs and tables; simple but almost elegant setting with a relaxing ambience. The «roof» for the alley is composed of glass panels, that gives almost an open-​air feel.
Three of us went there for a nice lunch. We had (see pics):
(1) appetizer «Halloumi cheese plate», s$ 19, EXCELLENT;
(2) entrée, «Barramundi with artichoks and spinach», $ 28, NOT BAD, good texture, subtle taste;
(3) entrée, «Short Ribs», $ 32, super tasty and tender;
(4), entrée «Duck Ragou», $ 25, a bit too bland and dry;
(5) Dessert, «Apple crumble», $ 15, hot, not too sweet, lots of apple, simply delicious!
In short, it offers tasty dishes, though they are small in quanty, and on the EXPENSIVE side. The wait staff is quite attentive, though not too friendly. The place has a comfortable interior and relaxing ambience.
Reservation is recommended.
Oh yes, beware that the bathroom is UNISEX; a bit too dark; and has a SLIDING DOOR!
Feb 2014

So I read tons of mixed review about this place. Overall, leaning towards the expensive and not worth it side but I just had to see for myself. After all, its sister restaurants like Skinny Pizza and Tiong Bahru Bakery did agree with me. Alas, it was not to be with OPD, the winning The Spa Esprit Group had with me came to a crashing haul as I experienced it’s first flop. My review is for its brunch menu.
The experience can be summarized in the following adjectives: Overpriced, Ordinary, Overrated.
1. Overpriced
We had the following dishes (pre-​GST & service charge). With the exception of the Smoked salmon dish, there was no meat in the other 2 dishes hence I do not see the rational of the steep prices (for carbs & veggies & eggs, mind you). Moreover the restaurant was not situated in a prime city area (i.e. Orchard etc). It was in located in Tiong Bahru for peet’s sake! In a heartland area. A suburban location, right next to old school coffee shops and hawker stalls. High rental overheads can hardly be cited as a justification. Marketing themselves as «Gourmet food made affordable» is indeed a far stretch.
— Roasted field mushrooms on toasted brioche with truffle purée $ 19
— Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted ciabatta with spinach and fresh herbs $ 21
— Poached asparagus with scrambled eggs, rocket and fresh tarragon on toasted brioche $ 20
2. Ordinary
Scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms… Nothing special.
Sadly, Brioche was unimpressive! It came cold! Crust was not toasted perfect and it tasted more like something you can get from bread talk.
3. Overrated
Some reviews says the place it «packed» by 11.30am. Not true. It was about ½ full. The place probably got a lot of undeserving attention from its association with its parent company, The Spa Esprit Group. Other than the excellent PR blitz and nice ambiance, this place isn’t all that special. Meh.
Its only saving grace… The pistachio soufflé! Which took forever to come (more than 30mins even though we ordered in advance with our mains) but was «sorta» worth the wait. I love the chocolate power that lined the cup the soufflé was in. It gave the dessert a sweet ending when we got to the bottom.
Overall, Tiong Bahru area has a dozen other fantastic cafes & brunch places popping up like Drips café, Plain Vanilla, Forty Hands etc. I’d say save your money for those instead.

Excellent. A real restaurant. You enter from the street, not from air-​conditioned catacombs of a shopping mall.
Good wine list. Very attentive service. Interesting ambience, feels comfy although space is optimised!
Must have 4 courses. Usually I have one dish, not here.
Suggested menu:
— spinach, broccoli and snap pea salad with goat’s cheese and pine nuts
— jamon iberico with crystal bread, crushed tomato, garlic and extra virgin olive oil
— 48 hour braised beef cheek with mochi potatoes, carrot purée & pea tendrils
— apple crumble with vanilla custard
2000+ calories, but worth it!

ODP has gotten it right. From the ambience to the service to the food and, if I may add, the bathroom.
The food is consistently delicious and well-​seasoned. The dishes are well-​thought out, as ingredients are paired with unique flavours and herbs/​spices. I find their approach to food rather refreshing compared to many other restaurants. A good mix of asian/​western such as tuna tartare with soy and yuzu dressing, burger with japanese mayonnaise. It also leave diners with more classic dishes such as mussels with ratatouille. Their salads/​starters portion are massive but lovely for sharing. 4 bean salad bruschetta with wild pea shoots and mint vinegar, is lusciously green and exciting, bursting with welcoming flavours.
Do same space for dessert. Though they always warn you to order 20 minutes in advance, enjoy your meal and allow it to digest then order your dessert. I see no hurry unless you are rushing off, or else do soak in the ambience and have a dessert to share. All the sweets have been a great delight, but the apple crumble holds a special place in my heart.
Definitely a comeback place with family and friends.

This is a fun and slightly eclectically decorated restaurant in an old and now hipster-​ish neighborhood. Great for a casual date… if your date isnt a foodie.
The 48 hour braised beef cheek is pretty good. Savory. One note.
The salmon with peppers is skippable.
The roasted carrot salad was fun but tiny for sharing.

Tried this new brunch spot with some friends the other day. It was good, but I wasn’t especially impressed. I started with grilled haloumi with olives and anchovies, which was very good. For my main, I had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. The portion was enormous, but it was a bit bland. The smoked salmon was strangely unsalty and unsmokey. There was nothing unpleasant about it, it just wasn’t as tasty as expected. I mooched a bit of my friend’s dessert — don’t remember what it was called — and that was really good, so the desserts may be worth a look if you have the extra stomach capacity.

New kid on the block (or not too new kid) is Open Door Policy, an open-​planned restaurant framed by an aquarium-​style show kitchen which runs the length of the shop. Chefs push out dishes to diners from behind the brick and glass wall, the only physical demarcation between the 2 parties. It does feel very much as we were dining with the chefs as we took our seats at the counter. It’s an intimate setting, and i would think it’s a little intimidating as well for both parties alike.

Papaduck papadum with crusted duck fillets & mint yogurt dip (S$ 18) was a nice and crunchy start to our meal. Some indian influence is seen in this dish though the papadum isn’t the real papadum that we get at the prata shops. The duck fillets were tender and juicy and i love how well it went with the mint yogurt dip. You could do without if you aren’t into that cool and light vege taste. I was starting to get a little full after 2 pieces.
Brunch is never complete without some eggs and i love mine scrambled. Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted ciabatta with spinach and fresh herbs (S$ 19) succeeded in scaring the hell out of my small stomach for it was HUGE. Egg lovers would rejoice at the height of the scrambled egg. I think it’s at least 5 cm tall? Well to achieve that sort of elevation, the creaminess was compromised a little but it tasted ok. On the other hand, i thought the salmon was a tad too fishy for my liking. Didn’t finish all of it.
We also had the ODP Pancakes with black berry and chocolate (S$ 17). A lot of work goes into making this little babies. They are first cooked over the grill in little molds and then they were popped into the oven to give it that golden brown, crusty exterior. I like that it’s fluffy and a little moist inside but i thought the batter could be slightly more savory and buttery. I still like my buttermilk pancakes best.
The caffeine addict in me ordered the Affogato (S$ 8) to go with my meal. Yes i have desserts before, in between and after meals. The coffee here is prepared by the 40 HANDS team, which is just across the road. I didn’t like my affogato though. The acidity of the espresso was impossible to neutralize even with the homemade caramel vanilla ice cream. Trust me, i tried. This was pretty bad for me even though i do think that the rest of their coffee are good.
Would i go again? I think the food is alright but it was kinda expensive (we spent S$ 60 each). Skip the drinks and i think you’d be fine.

For a place called Open Door Policy, this place sure has some closed ones. When we tried to make a reservation here the manager told my friend that we only have until 9pm to eat, so we had better make our reservations for 7. Wow, it is the first time I’ve heard of such things!
That aside, the restaurant itself is nicely designed and has a bar counter up front and a huge kitchen with glass windows inside. We could see what the chefs were doing!
The food itself was really mediocre and overpriced. We tried the haloumi salad, the beef tartare was super small and the braised beef cheeks was just salty and one-​dimensional. I was really quite disappointed with it.

Watching chef’s in action isn’t really my thing, but I guess it does add to the novelty of it all.
That said, ODP is another painfully hip joint opened by the Spa Esprit Group. And like all the other joints under the group, the menu is decent and features your typical modern rustic bistro fare. It’s great for meetings and just hanging out with friends.
Packed on most days, the wait time to get a seat is surprisingly fast, provided you’re not faced with a large group that’s just content to soak in the atmosphere.

I’ve been here twice, once for brunch (book early hor; I saw the manager politely turn away someone who expected to walk in…), and once for dinner (ate at 6.30pm, so can chance a walk-​in) and will be back to slowly eat through the rest of the menu.
It’s good food, none of this overthinking gel-​foam madness. I had the salmon and panzanella the first time; not sold on gigantic cubes of bread (reminded me of giant croutons) but the fish was done well. The pistachio soufflé was excellent also, and the waitstaff very helpfully tell you that the hot desserts take about 20min, so if you don’t want to wait you should order them with your mains.
At dinner I had the duck dish (too salty, though I really liked the yogurt sauce. which is really like what you get with tandoori chicken) and the green salad. If you have smaller appetites than me you can well fill up on the salad alone (or ask them for bread). The spinach is lightly blanched, and the liquid from the vegetable mixes with the feta to form a kind of dressing that is quite moreish.
I like the atmosphere too, with the stamped tin roofs and exposed walls, and the nice-​smelling handsoap (part of the Spa Esprit group lah). Will be back to omnomnom more!